


warm(ish)

by Shinkirou



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Character Development, Character Study, Developing Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 17:00:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21811726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinkirou/pseuds/Shinkirou
Summary: It feels like everything has changed all at once. Lio has some thoughts about it.[For day 15 of my 'daily(?) December' challenge!]
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Kudos: 41





	warm(ish)

The thing is, Lio - and Gueira and Meis, and the rest of the no-longer-Burnish - don't actually have anywhere to _go._

They could join society, but the prejudice against them won't fade so easily, so it would be dangerous, and without their powers now, they'd be... Perhaps not _defenceless,_ some of them, presumably at least a few of them can still handle themselves in a regular fight, but the point is that not everyone could, and so it's dangerous for them. Burning Rescue doesn't have enough space for everyone, nor enough manpower to guard everyone, so the Parnassus quickly becomes the main place for the former Burnish to live while alternate arrangements are made.

Lio doesn't particularly like it, doesn't exactly enjoy forcing his brothers-in-arms to live on the ship that would have killed them all - _did_ kill some of them - but... He understands that without the Promare, the desert is no longer a viable location to reside. They have regular human temperatures now, after all. No more particular affinity to heat.

In fact, even though he's sure Galo's apartment probably _isn't_ actually freezing, it still feels like that, sometimes.

He's come to live with Galo while they work on reconstruction efforts; there were rumours of potential legal action against the Burnish as well, so allegedly Galo was asked to keep an eye on him, but Lio already knows that Galo wouldn't hand any one of the former Burnish over no matter who was asking.

... Still. It's comfortable enough here, physically speaking, but... It's a bit difficult to accept it when he knows the others have to remain in a place with such bad memories.

Staring at the ship from Galo's balcony, Lio can't help but wonder what he could have done differently.

They're lucky they got there when they did; they did manage to save _most_ of the Burnish, a relatively small number of casualties occurring compared to what could have happened. If Lio hadn't thrown his own flames into Galo to protect him, they'd both would have died. But was there a more optimal path? Of course there was, if he'd been able to protect everyone from being rounded up in the first place—

Jolting as something covers his head, Lio spins quickly, leg lifting, connecting with... Ah. Galo's startled, pained yelp indicates it was his stomach. Calming down immediately, Lio holds still; whatever's over his face is... Pretty soft, now that he's focused on it, and warm.

It's a sweater.

Galo whines at him as he finishes pulling it down over Lio's head. "I tried calling you! You were shivering, so I thought I'd get you a sweater, but you weren't responding..."

"... Sorry. Thank you for the sweater."

"Mm, no problem... Sorry I caught you off guard."

Lio shakes his head, but something about what Galo said... That he tried calling for him and Lio didn't respond... Is he that comfortable around Galo, now? It makes sense, of course, to a degree, given what they went through, literally saving the planet and all, but still, it's something that comes as a surprise nevertheless.

It's not a bad thing, though.

Humming quietly in acceptance of the apology, Lio turns his attention back to the Parnassus again. "... I still don't like it."

"I know," Galo says, sympathetic - no, _empathetic,_ really, because Lio knows he doesn't like it either. "Sorry I can't really think of any other solution right now..."

"It's not your fault."

"Well, no, but I still wish I could do more..."

"That feeling is mutual."

Galo comes to lean against the railing next to him. Another thing that Lio has noticed is that Galo is practically a human furnace; even with their arms not touching, Lio feels warmth seeping into the sweater. "Ahh... Well, you're a really good leader, you know? I'm sure they understand that you're doing your best. You always have for them, right? Honestly, I really think you're amazing. Not too many people would step up and try to take care of that many people they don't even know."

It's... Strange, to be complimented so sincerely; it isn't that he doubts Gueira or Meis' compliments, of course, but they had to respect him for him to become their leader. Coming from Galo, someone who he fought nearly to the death... Even with what they went through afterwards, to hear Galo _admiring_ him... "... You would."

Galo rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, yeah, of course. That's just my burning spirit! The firefighter's creed! But I wouldn't do it as well as you did. You really got through to so many different kinds of people, and protected them for so long, and worked so hard for them... You're really, _really_ amazing, Lio."

“... I think you’d be fine at it, too. You’re really weird, and loud, and at first I really thought you were just some raving lunatic, but...” _Giving_ compliments is strange, too... "... You're charismatic. You bring people together. You're smarter than you come off, initially."

Despite the rather backhanded tone of that last bit, Galo grins. "You mean I grew on you."

Lio rolls his eyes, but can't help the smallest smile. "... Obviously." 

They wouldn't have been stood around talking like this, not too long ago. Honestly, despite his creed of Burnish not killing people without reason, he thinks he had _every_ reason to kill Kray, and still doesn't exactly like that he's alive, even if he's being detained right now... But it could have been worse. There's still a lot of work to be done, and he knows the ex-Burnish will have a very difficult time adapting, and that society won't exactly make it any easier... But Galo, at least, and the rest of Burning Rescue are helping as much as they can, and there's hope. The Burnish have been through a lot; even if this isn't easy, they'll have each others' backs, and they'll make it through.

Letting the conversation die off there - and the fact that Galo knows how to be quiet was a surprise in its own right, the first time it happened - Lio sighs gently, and leans against Galo's arm. Galo moves it, and Lio almost draws away, thinking that perhaps he overstepped, but then that arm just drapes around his back instead, tugging him closer up against Galo's side.

It's weird, being able to feel cold, but... Like this, it's exactly as warm as he'd like.


End file.
